15 Best Places to Visit in Kalimantan (Indonesia)

Kalimantan is part of Indonesia and is located on the island of Borneo (which incidentally is Kalimantan in Indonesian). 73% of Borneo is covered by Indonesia and the rest is made up of Malaysia and Brunei. Kalimantan actually means ‘Burning Weather Island’ and derives from the Sanskrit for Kalamanthana as it is located close to the equator and as a result you can expect it to get pretty hot here. If you want to check out the equator in person, then make your way to the city of Pontianak which lies directly over the equatorial line.

The island is the third largest in the world and you will find acres of lush jungles here as well as snaking rivers and rugged countryside. As you would expect, trekking and hiking in the unspoilt rainforests are a favorite pastime here and you can check out all the local flora and fauna such as proboscis monkeys as you do so. Certainly if you want to get back to nature and check out a part of Indonesia that is far less visited by travelers, then Kalimantan is an excellent choice, and is also one of the most beautiful islands in this part of the world.

Here are the best places to visit in Kalimantan:

1. Derawan Island

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Derawan Island

Derawan Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Indonesia and lies off the coast of the main island of Kalimantan.

It is part of its own small archipelago and is one of the best places to dive in and around Kalimantan.

The waters here teem with marine live such as blue ring octopus and scorpion fish, and you can also find bobbing seahorses as well as ghostpipe fish.

There is a famous rock here named the Blue Trigger Wall which is some 18 meters long and sits at 10 meters below the surface of the water and this is one of the top dive spots in Derawan.

2. Balikpapan

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Banua Patra Beach, Balikpapan

Located in Eastern Kalimantan is the city of Balikpapan which is where you will find a more modern side to the island.

As such this is a great place to come if you want to ease into Kalimantan slowly and there are a good range of amenities here as well as a large shopping mall where you can check out how the youth of Kalimantan spend their weekends.

You will also find a number of museums and other attractions here to enjoy and it is also close to more rural areas if you want to explore outside the city.

It is also a good jumping off point if you want to fly within Kalimantan or explore some of the neighboring dive sites.

5. Danau Sentarum National Park

The Danau Sentarum National Park is a large area of wetland that stretches for 132,000 hectares.

Much of the park is made up of low level rainforest as well as large peat swamps and this is the place to come if you want to find a large amount of indigenous flora and fauna in one picturesque place.

Some of the wildlife that you can expect here includes orangutans, proboscis monkeys, and crocodiles, or you can also check out pheasants and storks.

As if that wasn’t enough, some of the indigenous groups of Kalimantan also live in the park so you can visit their camps and see how people have lived on this island for centuries.

6. Kakaban Island

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Kakaban Island

Kakaban Island is one of the most famous in Kalimantan and is known for its majestic lake that sits in the center.

The lake is full of graceful jellyfish although they are not poisonous, which means that you can swim with them and take in this amazing spectacle of nature close up.

The jellyfish are made up of two species called Golden Jellyfish and Moon jellyfish and the only other place in the world with a similar phenomenon is in Micronesia, so if you get the chance to visit Kakaban Island then make sure to take a trip to this amazing lake.

7. Kutai National Park

Another one of Kalimantan’s national parks is Kutai National Park which is covered in pristine ironwood forest.

The parks sprawls for some 198,000 hectares and you will find swathes of mangroves here as well as fields of colorful wild orchids.

The park was sadly razed to the ground in 1998 as a result of a devastating forest fire but now much of it has recovered and you will be able to see it restored to its former glory.

It is also the home of sun bears, slow lorises, deer, and orangutans.

8. Mahakam River

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Mahakam River

The Mahakam River is the longest river in East Kalimantan and is the central backbone of the community here, supplying the area with water and also being one of the ways to travel around the island, much of which is covered in rainforest.

The river is also the home of a species of freshwater dolphin known as ‘pesut’ and you can come here and spot these elegant marine creatures in their local habitat and take a river cruise that will also allow you to check out a huge number of other indigenous species.

9. Tanjung Puting National Park

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Tanjung Puting National Park

Tanjung Puting National Park is one of the premium national parks in Kalimantan and it is here that you will find the largest number of elegant orangutans swinging from the trees.

There is a conservation and research center based here and the park is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

It spans 415,040 hectares of land and also has a sister park in adjacent Malaysia.

Just some of the activities that you can enjoy in the park include cruises along the river as well as boat tours where you can check out all the local wildlife and enjoy a leisurely cruise at the same time.

Just some of the animals that call the park home include clouded leopards, mouse deer, sun bears and red monkeys.

12. Sesayap River Protected Forest

If you are in North Kalimantan then make sure not to miss a trip to the Sesayap River Protected Forest.

The best way to take in the majesty of the forest here is to go on a cruise down the river and you can see all the gorgeous scenery as well as enjoy towering lush trees and giant flowers.

There are also monkeys, snakes, and different hued birds to be enjoyed and this is a protected area of land so you know that the animals that live here are safe and not subject to hunting or poaching.

You can also look out for the Perengat trees here which have a special acidic fruit that is used in a range of natural remedies.

13. Pontianak

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Pontianak

Pontianak is the largest city in Kalimantan and has a rather unfortunate name, as ‘pontianak’ is a kind of vampire in Malay.

There is no cause to be alarmed however, and Pontianak sits at the point where two mighty rivers called the Sungai Kapuas and Sungai Landak come together.

Some of the best spots in the city that you can visit include the Istana Kadriyah which is a former royal palace as well as the Museum Negeri Pontianak which is the national museum and a great spot to learn more about the history and culture of the area.

There is also an Equator Monument here and a traditional Dayak Longhouse.